Will you coordinate with my doctors?

With your written consent, yes. Coordinated care between your therapist and your medical team is one of the best predictors of good outcomes with chronic illness.

Therapy for Chronic Illness

Therapy for Chronic Illness in Downers Grove, IL

Name: Affirm Behavioral Health, PLLC
Address: 5120 Main St., Suite 105, Downers Grove, IL, 60515, US
Telephone: (708) 990-1174
Price range: $75 – $225

Does your chronic illness leave you feeling exhausted and depleted? Do you feel left out when you can’t take part in daily activities? Do you feel isolated, yet also feel the need to hide your condition from others? Your well-being depends not just on your physical condition but on your mental health, and you can thrive emotionally despite your illness.

Request a Free Consultation (708) 990-1174

A smooth stone engraved with the word journey resting among river rocks

Living with chronic illness can bring

Fear, stress, anger, shame, and low self-worth
Grief for the plans and abilities you have lost
Isolation and the exhausting work of hiding how you feel
Anxiety before appointments, tests, and treatment decisions
Depression that makes managing your condition even harder
Strain in relationships with partners, family, and employers
Frustration with a medical system that doesn’t always listen

Life is complex

A chronic illness is never something we plan for. One day we get a diagnosis, and suddenly our world and the world of our loved ones is turned upside down. Things we were once able to do, we may no longer be able to. Plans we once made, we may no longer be able to keep. Our positive emotions are often replaced by fear, stress, anger, shame, and low self-worth.

While everyone experiences negative emotions from time to time, chronic negative emotions make it that much harder to physically cope with illness or find any joy in life.

Turning pain into strength

Therapy is a powerful way to face the challenges and emotions you are dealing with. By feeling our difficult emotions instead of burying them, we can often turn pain into unimaginable strength. I specialize in helping people with chronic illness navigate their inner world so they can not only survive their psychological and emotional challenges but thrive because of them.

Using practical, solution-focused therapy, I offer tangible results. Together we identify your feelings, attitudes, and limiting beliefs about your illness, understand the origins of damaging thought patterns, and create new positive mental and emotional habits.

A therapist who understands the medical side

Before becoming a therapist, I provided medical care in ophthalmology. I later earned a master’s degree with a specialization in healthcare social work and oncology, plus an executive certification in healthcare management. I understand how physical and emotional health intersect, how to talk to your care team, and how to help you advocate for yourself inside a complicated system.

Adjustment to a new diagnosis or a change in prognosis
Autoimmune conditions, diabetes, heart disease, neurological conditions, and chronic pain
Coping with fatigue, flare-ups, and unpredictability
Health anxiety and medical trauma
Depression and grief related to illness
Communication with family, employers, and providers
Telehealth sessions on the days leaving home isn’t possible

Frequently asked

Questions about chronic illness therapy

Therapy does not cure a medical condition, but research shows it can reduce pain intensity, improve sleep, lower stress hormones, and increase adherence to treatment. Most clients also find their condition easier to manage when depression and anxiety are treated.

Why clients choose Affirm Behavioral Health

Dual-specialty care for mental health and substance use, with medical insight most therapists don’t offer.

Christine Stryjewski is both a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Certified Alcohol and Other Drug Counselor, with advanced oncology social work training and years of experience in medical care. That means anxiety, depression, trauma, substance use, and medical stress can be treated together in one coordinated plan.

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